The Hempstead House
No Reviews
Inside the foyer of Hempstead House, one glimpse of the imposing vaulted ceiling stirs the imagination of a grand lifestyle that once existed at this Gold Coast estate. Even though the house is no longer furnished, its architecture provides a hint of an elegant time long gone. In its heyday in the 1920s, Hempstead House revealed a taste for extravagance. In the Entry Foyer was an organ made of oak. The pipes still visible on the walls above were merely for show - the music reverberated through openings in the floors. Medieval tapestries once hung on the walls, and oriental carpets covered the floor. The sunken Palm Court once contained 150 species of rare orchids and other plants. An aviary housed exotic birds in ornate cages among the flowers. The walnut-paneled Library was copied from the palace of King James I; relief portraits of literary figures still decorate the plaster ceiling. The Billiard Room featured a gold leaf ceiling, hand-tooled leather wall coverings, and carved oak woodwork from a 17th century Spanish palace.
New York